Hinge.



P. T. SIMMONS.

HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2I, I9I4.

Patented Jan.4,1916. .Y

.. WASHINGTON. D4 c.

Sie

PATENT oEEroE.

PARKER fr. sIMivroNs, or ATTLEBoEo Earns, ivrAssaCHU'sE'rtrs.iV

HINGE. -Q

Specicationfof Letters Patent.

Patenteaaan. 4, wie.

Application led December 21, 1914. Serial No. 878,379.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PARKER T. SIMMONS, a citizen of the United States, residingat VAttleboro Falls, in the county of Bristol spring means for holding the lids, doors or other closures tending to close, and which willl also voperate as a check to hold the closures in various positions, as desired.

It is an important object toimprove lthe manufacture of such a device to improve its functions and also to ,facilitate` its application to use; That is to say, in one particular as to function, for instance, it is sought to obviate tendency of the device tostiflly resist pivotal movement of a closure up to a certain point, andl then yield suddenly, which in the case of a jewelry box cover would incur a liability of jarring the conv tents from the box, with a possibility of loss.v Also, it is an aim to give an improvedspring construction liable in a minimum degree to breakage by repeated flexure, although forming an integral part of a butt or the like.

Additional objects, advantages, and features of invention will appear, from the construction, arrangement, and combination of ,parts hereinafter set forth and shown in the drawings, where- Figure 1 is an elevation `of a butt hinge constituting one of the possible embodiments of my invention, Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 of Fig. l, Fig. 3 is an end view of the hinge, Fig. is a perspective of the spring-butt, Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of a box and hinge, Fig. 6 shows one form of my hinge on an auto lamp.

There is illustrated a hinge of the butt type in the present instance, although it will be apparent that other forms are possible, the blank for the butt 10 of which is of a familiar form, including the rectangular leaf portion 11 apertures for the reception of fastening screws and from the edge of which spring the two knuckle ears 12, the length of which, however, is slightly longer than customary. These ears are bent snugly around a rectangular pintle 13, the corners of Vwhich are flattened as at 14, throughout its length. A spring-butt 15 is provided, which includes the leaf portion lhaving the same area as -tha't one numbered 11, and having extended from its inner edge van ear 17 having a width co-rresponding to that of lthe space between'the ears 12, and a length suiicient ,for it to extend half way aroundthe pintle 13. VThis ear is b ent obliquelyona ,line parallel to anda little beyond the innerzedge of the leaf 1 6. to extend at "an angle of 45 degrees'to the planeof the leaf, andV at av distance from the first bendcorresponding to the thickness of the pintle between opposed broader faces is again bent, (this time at an angle of 90 degrees and toward the [plane of'the leaf y16, forming an outerpart 1,9 having the lsame' dimension as theinner oblique portion 18. 0n the outer edge of the leaf there-is formed an integral 'spring extension 20, having thesame width as the ear 17, recurved overthe leaf 16. its outer part lying. in opposition to the ear17.:and

being similarly bent on lines alined with the bends of the ear/V17 to form a corresponding opposed spring ear 21. The spring VVextension is so formed, as to be under tension bearing toward the leaf 16 so that the pintle is tightly clamped between the ears 17 and 21, and opposed sides ofthese ears will engage snugly against` opposed sides of the pintle. The engagement 1 of the ears 12 with the pintle will causel it to turn between the ears 17 and 21 rupon pivotal movement of theleaves relatively,

and the clamping action'of the ears 17 and l.

21 will resist such turning movement to a certain degree and kwill hold thel leaves yieldably in position with either the broad lsides of the pintle resting against the sides of the ears 17 and 21,`or with the flattened Y corners of the pintle so engaged. Before the bending of the ears 17 and 21 and coincident with theformation of theblank theouter edges of the ear17 and spring extension are cut on the bias so that when the parts are bent the short end of one is opposed to the long end of the other. The variation in length, however, is very slight, as indicated at 23 in Fig. v2. VWith this construction, it will be seen that there' is a constant bearing of these biased edges on the corner portions of the pintle while passing thereunder and the resistance to the turning 'of the pintle Will be extended over a degree of movement corresponding to the degree of bias. It Will be understood that with unbiased edges on these ears the corners of the pintle would pass them abruptly With a consequent sudden lessening of resistance to turning of the pintle which is ynot present in my device.

It will be apparent that a very desirable hinge for use on cabinets, boxes, and other objects with hinged closures, is provided, and it can also be applied to use on doors for rooms, and for the pivotal support of various objects which it would be desirable to adjust in various positions. For lamp doors, the hinge may be made with small leaves, which may be soldered to the body of the lamp and the frame of the door, as indicated inFig. 6. If used as a door hinge, a suitable mortise is formed in the door to receive the spring extension 20, but for boxes, the hinge is preferably attached with the spring on the outer side next the box, as shown in Fig. 5.

7l-iat is claimed:

1. A hinge of the class described comprising tivo leaf members, an angular pintle fixed to one, the other having an ear on its inner edge engaging the pintle and a spring extension on its outer edge extended inwardly over the leaf and having its extremity engaged With the pintle in opposition to the ear, the ear and spring being shaped to engage flatly against opposed faces of the pintle, and having biased engaging edge portions for the purpose described.

2. A hinge of the character described comprising a pintle member having at least a` portion angular in cross section, a

l supporting member fixed thereto, a member pivoted thereon comprising a plate of resilient sheet metal having an inner edge portion bent to form an offset bearing to engage atly on the pintle, and an outer edge portion bent inwardly over the leaf and its outer part disposed to engagek the pintle in opposition to the inner edge portion, at least one of the engaging portions last named being' shaped to engage more than one side of the pintle, and each having biased edge portions for the purpose mentioned.

3. In a hinge of the class described a leaf stamped from resilient sheet metal and comprising a body portion for attachment to a support an inner edge portion shaped to engage an angular pintle, and an outer edge portion recurved over the body with its extrem-ity shaped and disposed to engage the pintle in opposition to the inner edge portion.

In testimony whereof I have ailiixed my signature in presence of tvvo Witnesess.

PARKER T. SIMMONS.

Copies of this patentk may 'be obtained for five centsv each, by addressing` the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C. 

